Button covering device

ABSTRACT

A button covering device having a platform with a central opening which forms a well to receive a button to be covered and the fabric for covering the button. A pair of sliding plates having contoured recesses are mounted on the platform whereby the contoured recesses may be positioned to overlap the opening to gather the fabric over the rear of the button.

Unite States Patent l 1 I l 3,902,383

LeBlanc 1 Sept. 2, 1975 1 BUTTON COVERING DEVICE 2.993.392 7/]961 Decker el al. 7 1/5 3,273,427 9 l9 Za k 79 5 I76] Inventor: Placide N. Lelilanc, 194 Jerry Rd, I L

East Hz rtf rd, (X 1 l8 l l O lrmzury I;.\'amm('rGranville Y. Custer, Jr. [22] Filed: June 27, 1974 [21 Appl. No.: 483,901 [57] ABSTRACT A button covering device having a platform with a 52 us. Cl. 79/5 Central Opening which form rcwivc button [51] Int. Cl A44h 1/06 be Word! and the filbric for Covering thc bumm- [58] Field of Search 79/1, 4, 5, l8 A P of Sliding Plums having Contoured recesses are mounted on the platform whereby the contoured re- 5 Referem-es Cited cesses may be positioned to overlap the opening to UNTFD STATFS PATENTS gather the fabric over the rear of the button.

2,488,957 [H1949 Booth r. 79/] X 9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures BUTTON COVERING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the field of button covering devices. More particularly, this invention relates to the field of button covering devices which are of simple construction and operation and are particularly suitable for use by the home or hobby sewer.

One of the biggest problems facing the home or hobby sewer ,or seamstress relates to the covering of buttons. Whether in conjunction with the sewing of new clothes or in the repair of existing clothes, it is often desired to cover buttons with fabric which matches or is coordinated with the material to which the button is to be mounted. Proper covering of the button requires that the material be placed over the front of the button and then be evenly gathered around the side or rim of the button and firmly secured to the back of the button by a cap or other retaining structure. This operation is difficult and time consuming to be accomplished by hand, and no device which is effective and simple to operate by the home sewer has heretofore been available.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The button covering device of the present invention has a platform with a central well for receiving and retaining the fabric to be applied to the button and the botton to be covered. A pair of overlapping sliding plates are mounted on the platform, each plate having a recessed portion which is adapted to cooperate with the recessed portion of the other plate to define an opening in the plates. After the fabric and button have been inserted in the well, the plates are slid together so that parts of the recessed portions of each plate overlap whereby the material is folded over the back of the button which is exposed through the opening formed by the recesses in the plates. A retaining cap is then tacked into place on the back of the button to secure the material to the button.

Once the button and fabric have been placed in the well and the sliding plates have been brought together to fold the material over the back of the button, the fabric is held in place around the button so that the users hands are freed to perform the final step of securing a button cap to the rear of the button to complete the operation. This feature of freeing the users hands to complete the covering process solves a particularly vexing problem which has previously confronted the home sewer. In the past, the home sewer has been faced with the problem of trying to hold the material in place on the button by hand while also trying to hand mount the button cap on the rear of the button to retain the fabric in place permanently. It is difficult to simul taneously accomplish all of those operations by hand, and attempts to do so often lead to an unintentional release of the fabric while attempting to mount the button cap, or uneven or loose covering may result.

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved button covering device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved button covering device which can be easily operated by the home sewer or seamstress.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved button covering device having a central well for holding the button and fabric in place and having a pair of sliding plates to fold the ma terial over the back of the button and hold the material in place while the rear button cap is secured in place.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to and understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring now to the drawings, wherein like elements are numbered alike in the several figures:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the button covering device of the present invention and also showing a piece of fabric, a button, and a button cap to be received in the device.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the button covering device of the present invention with the button and fabric positioned therein.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a finished button ii which has been covered using the device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view, similar to FIG. 2, of a slightly modified second embodiment of the present in' vention.

FIG. 5 is a view along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the button covering device includes a platform 10 which has front and back edges I2 and I4 folded or rolled over to form slide ways. Platform 10 has a central opening 16 with a depending circular wall 18 which forms a well for receiving the button to be covered and the material for coveringthe button. An inwardly disposed lip 19 on the bottom of wall 18 prevents the button from passing through the well.

A pair of plates 20 and 22 are mounted for sliding movement on platform 10, the plates being slidably retained in the slide ways formed between the front and rear edges 12 and 14 and the base of the platform 10. The plates are mounted for relative and overlapping movement with respect to each other. In the configuration of FIG. 1 plate 22 is mounted to overlap and slide over plate 20. Each plate has a contoured end recess extending into the plate, the recess in each plate having a generally circular segment 26 and a pair of oppositely disposed straight segments 28 as shown in FIG. 2. The recess forms legs 30 on each of the plates, the legs 30 of each plate being in overlapping relationship with the legs on the other plate. Each plate also has an operating tab 32 at the outer end thereof to be grasped by the user for moving the plates toward and away from each other. In the configuration shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, both of the legs of plate 22 overlap the legs of plate 20.

To use the device of FIGS. l and 2, plates 20 and 22 are slid apart to expose central opening 16 in platform 10. The fabric 34 to be used to cover the button is then placed over central opening 16, and a button 36 is then placed over the fabric and pushed into the well defined by wall 18. With the button thus in place in the well, the fabric covers the face of the button and is drawn up around the side or rim of the button. As in conventional practice, the piece of the fabric is sized to provide excess material to be secured to the rear of the button. The slides 20 and 22 are then moved inwardly toward each other (see FIG. 2) to fold. the excess material over the exposed luck of button 35:. 'l'hc contoaied recesses in plates and 22 then cooperate to define a generally semi-circular or oval opening ofslightly smaller diameter or size than the diameter or size of the button to be covered. Thus, the button covering material 34 is folded over the exposed back of the button. A toothed button cap 38, which is sized to fit within and be retained in the open back of the button 36 and which has a central opening 42 to fit over the center post 44 of the button, is then positioned in place with the central opening 42 aligned with button post 44. The size of the opening formed by the cooperative action of the recesses in plates 20 and 22 permits button cap 38 to be pushed or tacked into place within the open back 40 of the button whereby the fabric or material 34 is firmly held in place and then the covering of the button is completed. Plates 20 and 22 are then slid apart, and the button is removed from the retaining well. When removed from the retaining well, the button is as shown in FIG. 3, with the fabric 34 completely in place and retained by button cap 38, with apertured button center post 44 exposed through button cap 38 so that the button may be sewed into place on the item to which it is to be mounted.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, a slightly modified version of the button covering device of the present invention is shown, with similar elements being numbered as in FIGS. I and 2. For purposes of illustration, one of the plates 20 in FIGv 4 is shown in the inward position, and the other plate, plate 22, is shown in the outer position.

The plates 20 and 22 of the FIG. 4 configuration are arranged with one of the legs of each overlapping the other, rather than having both legs of one plate overlap the other plate as in FIGS. I and 2 wherein both legs of plate 22 overlap both legs of plate 20. This modified overlapping arrangement of FIG. 4 promotes a more even gathering of the material around the button.

A second modification in the FIGS. 4 and 5 embodiment is found in the presence of raised stop tabs 46 on plate 10, the tabs 46 cooperating with raised pockets 48 formed in the surface of each of the plates 20 and 22 whereby the ends of the pockets engage the stop tabs 46 to limit inward and outward movement of the plates 20 and 22. A further modification is found in the fact that the operating tabs 32 project downwardly rather than upwardly as in the FIGS. 1 and 2 arrangement.

The operation of the modified configuration of FIGS. 4 and 5 is the same as for the configuration of FIGS, I and 2.

While the preferred embodiments have been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be un derstood that the present invention has been described by way of illustration and not limitation.

What is claimed is:

I. A button covering device including:

a base having a platform and an opening defining a well in the platform, said opening being adapted to receive a button to be covered and fabric for covering the button;

sliding plate means on said platform, said plate means having a contoured opening, said plate means being movable between an open position free from overlap with said platform opening and a closed position in partial overlap with and in alignment with said platform opening; and

means for movably retaining said plate means on said platform.

2. A button covering device in claim I wherein:

said sliding plate means includes a pair of relatively movable overlapping plates, each of said plates having a contoured end recess, said contoured end recesses cooperating to define said contoured opening of said sliding plate means.

3. A button covering device as in claim 2 wherein:

at least part of each of said contoured recesses is arcuate.

4. A button covering device as in claim 2 including:

a tab projecting from each of said plates at a location removed from the contoured end recess.

5. A button covering device as in claim 2 including:

a tab projecting upwardly from each of said plates at a location removed from the contoured end recess.

6. Apparatus for use in the covering of a button with fabric material comprising:

a base having a platform with a central opening, said opening defining a well for serially receiving the fabric to cover a button and the button;

a pair of relatively movable plates, said plates being at least partly overlapping and each plate having a contoured recess on overlapping end portions thereof whereby said plates cooperate to define a variably shaped contoured opening, said plates being movable between an open position where said contoured opening is out of overlapping engagement with said platform opening and a closed position where said contoured opening is in partial overlap with said platform opening, said plates in said closed position folding the fabric over the upwardly facing rear side of the button while leaving part of said button exposed for engagement with a button cap: and

means for movably retaining said plates on said platform.

7. A button covering device as in claim 6 wherein: at

least part of each of said contoured recesses is arcuate.

8. A button covering device as in claim 7 including:

a tab projecting upwardly from each of said plates at a location removed from the contoured end recess.

9. A button covering device as in claim 6 including:

a tab projecting from each of said plates at a location removed from the contoured end recess.

I I I I 

1. A button covering device including: a base having a platform and an opening defining a well in the platform, said opening being adapted to receive a button to be covered and fabric for covering the button; sliding plate means on said platform, said plate means having a contoured opening, said plate means being movable between an open position free from overlap with said platform opening and a closed position in partial overlap with and in alignment with said platform opening; and means for movably retaining said plate means on said platform.
 2. A button covering device as in claim 1 wherein: said sliding plate means includes a pair of relatively movable overlapping plates, each of said plates having a contoured end recess, said contoured end recesses cooperating to define said contoured opening of said sliding plate means.
 3. A button covering device as in claim 2 wherein: at least part of each of said contoured recesses is arcuate.
 4. A button covering device as in claim 2 including: a tab projecting from each of said plates at a location removed from the contoured end recess.
 5. A button covering device as in claim 2 including: a tab projecting upwardly from each of said plates at a location removed from the contoured end recess.
 6. Apparatus for use in the covering of a button with fabric material comprising: a base having a platform with a central opening, said opening defining a well for serially receiving the fabric to cover a button and the button; a pair of relatively movable plates, said plates being at least partly overlapping and each plate having a contoured recess on overlapping end portions thereof whereby said plates cooperate to define a variably shaped contoured opening, said plates being movable between an open position where said contoured opening is out of overlapping engagement with said platform opening and a closed position where said contoured opening is in partial overlap with said platform opening, said plates in said closed position folding the fabric over the upwardly facing rear side of the button while leaving part of said button exposed for engagement with a button cap; and means for movably retaining said plates on said platform.
 7. A button covering device as in claim 6 wherein: at least part of each of said contoured recesses is arcuate.
 8. A button covering device as in claim 7 including: a tab projecting upwardly from each of said plates at a location removed from the contoured end recess.
 9. A button covering device as in claim 6 including: a tab projecting from each of said plates at a location removed from the contoured end recess. 